You learn something new about your colleagues every day. Though we already knew executive editor Hunter Lewis could plate a story with the agility of an experienced chef, we learned of his past–the years he spent in blazing New York kitchens–from his episode of The Authentic South Podcast.

But for all the kvetching Hunter could have done, he doubled-down on his newfound passion. On the day he almost threw in the apron, he took a page out of Harry Belafonte’s book and walked out to the Hudson River for some serious soul-searching. What he found there was cooking. He returned from the riverbank committed to the back of house. Still, his heartstrings were always tugged by two passions: writing and cooking. We here at Southern Living remained thrilled that he melded the two and became one of the country’s top food writers and a cornerstone of our magazine.

Tanner Latham offers a wonderful interview with Hunter on his podcast, covering the editor’s trip from Manhattan to the Magic City, the massive #SouthernFoodNow spread in June’s issue of Southern Living, and the differences between cooking and writing.